Accordions with visible shifts



Oct. 9, 1 956 J. GlULiETTI 2,765,694

ACCORDIONS WITH VISIBLE SHIFTS Filed Aug. 4, 1951 A INVENTOR JULIO GKULlETTl BYOMMWX ATTOR EY United States Patent O M ACCORDIONS WITH VISIBLE SHIFTS Julio Giulietti, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Giulietti Accordion Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 4, 1951, Serial No. 240,409

1 Claim. (Cl. 84-376) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in accordions with visible shifts.

Many accordions are made with shifts for playing piccolo, bandon, clarinet, master, organ, etc. The arrangement of these shifts is not standard with different manufacturers. Because of the arbitrary arrangement of the shifts it is customary for the manufacturers to imprint them with the names of the shifts. However, the shifts heretofore have been made flat and have been located in positions in which they cannot be read While the accordion is being played. For this reason it is necessary for a player to memorize the positions of the different shifts. This is rather difficult, particularly, if a player is required to play different accordions since the arrangements of the shifts will vary with the different manufacturers. The piano keyboards of the accordions generally are of standard design with all manufacturers so that a player has no difficulty with the keyboards, even though the keys are not imprinted with the notes they represent.

The dominating object of this invention resides in so arranging and constructing the shifts that the imprinted names of the shifts may be read by a person playing the accordion. More specifically, it is proposed to arrange the shifts in a vertical line adjacent to or in the vicinity of the piano keyboard of the accordion, which is also in a vertical line while the instrument is being played. It is proposed to form each of the shift keys with an upwardly inclined face directed towards the eyes of a person playing the accordion. It is proposed to imprint these faces with the names of the shifts in order that a person playing the accordion may easily read the names.

Still another object of this invention resides in constructing the shift keys with finger striking portions, preferably adjacent to the inclined faces of the keys by which the keys may be conveniently depressed.

Still another object of this invention resides in arranging the vertical lines of shift keys upon a projection on the accordion adjacent the keyboard thereof so that the shift keys project to positions in which the inclined faces thereof may be easily read by a person playing the accordion.

The dominating advantage gained by this invention resides in the fact that the accordionist may read the names of the shifts while playing and so eliminate the necessity of memorizing the shifts, or becoming confused with the shifts when changing from one accordion to another.

Another object of this invention is the construction of an accordion with new visible shifts which may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an accordion with visi- 2,765,694 Patented Oct. 9, 19 56 ble shifts constructed in accordance with this invention and illustrated in a vertical position which the accordion assumes while it is strapped around a players neck and shoulders.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed view of one of the shift keys of the accordion shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view looking in the direction of the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The accordion with visible shifts for piccolo, bandon, etc., in accordance with this invention, includes an accordion 10 having when mounted on a person in playing position a substantially vertical line of shift keys 11. Each of these shift keys 11 has an upwardly inclined face 12 directed towards the eyes of a person playing said accordion. Said faces 12 are imprinted with the names 13 of the shifts, such as piccolo, bandon, etc., in order that a person playing said accordion may read said names while in the process of playing the accordion.

The vertical line of shift keys 11 is arranged upon a projection 14 located adjacent to the piano keyboard 15 of the accordion. The purpose of this projection 14 is to space the shift keys 11 a short distance away from the body of the accordion so that the inclined faces 12 may be seen with greater ease by the accordionist. Each of the shift keys 11 is formed with a finger striking portion 16 projecting a short distance above the inclined faces 12, preferably at the end adjacent to the keyboard 15. These finger striking portions 16 are fiat, as shown on the drawing, for ease in engaging and contacting the shift keys. The imprinted names 13 on the inclined faces 12 are printed in such a direction as to be readable right side up when the accordionist looks down on the shift keys during playing. The correct position of the imprinted names 13 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

The operation and use of the accordion with the new visible shifts may be understood from the following:

The accordion is strapped around the players neck and shoulders in the usual way. The instrument is played in the conventional manner with one hand playing the piano keyboard 15 and the other hand operating the bellows and the bass of the accordion. The player may look down upon the vertical line of shift keys 11 and read the imprinted names 13 on the inclined faces 12 of the shift keys 11 which are directed upwards towards the players eyes. The shift keys 11 may be easily manipulated by the player with the hand playing the piano keyboard 15.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In an accordion having shifts for playing piccolo, bandon, clarinet, master, organ or the like, a plurality of shift keys connected to said shifts for individually actuating the same, said shift keys having fiat faces which occupy a substantially vertical, common plane when the accordion is mounted in playing position, said fiat faces constituting the finger-striking portions which are engaged for actuating said shift keys and thereby actuating said shifts, said shift keys being also provided with inclined face portions which are set at an angle relative to the plane of the flat faces of said shift keys, said inclined faces being directed toward the eyes of the person playing the accordion, said inclined face portions being imprinted with the names of the shifts to which said shift keys are individually connected, so that the person playing the:

3 accordion may be able to read the names of the shifts while playing the accordion, said flat faces being disposed outwardly from the inclined face portions a spaced distance therefrom to enable the player to strike said flat faces with his fingers without interference by the inclined 5 face portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 41 Kostka Feb. 21, 1939 Pancotti Mar. 5, 1940 Cervenka Mar. 26, 1940 Rabuazzo July 16, 1940 Kostka Sept. 18, 1945 Sledge Aug. 17, 1948 Hammond May 2, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Holland Aug. 15, 1933 

